Count on me

Before we delve deep into the positives and negatives of in-person or online tutoring, it’s worth mentioning that both formats offer similar key benefits. Both types of tutoring give time and space to children who need tricky concepts explained, whose confidence can increase by consolidation, or who wish to expand on a subject and push their progress.

“Tuition is a great way for students to get the extra help they need to excel in school,” explains Sharon Holloway of Eveline Day School. “Individually tailored lessons can help with specific exam preparation, fill in knowledge gaps or provide essential pre-learning for difficult topics.

“Tuition fosters a love of learning by providing students with opportunities to go beyond the curriculum, working towards their interests and goals. Having a safe space to make mistakes and ask questions helps them gain confidence. Grades improve and so do motivation and resilience.

“Experienced tutors are a source of guidance in helping to navigate the complex secondary transfer and 11+ exam system, and can often offer advice on suitable schools. Tutoring is always individually tailored to your child’s needs and their learning style, offering ideas and learning strategies to take into the classroom. There’s no doubt that tuition in one subject always has a positive impact on all learning and progress across the curriculum.”

It’s a win-win, explains Julie Tyler, Camp Director at Camp Suisse: “Tutoring ignites minds, unlocking potential, paving paths to academic success, confidence, and lifelong learning among students worldwide.” There are still detractors however. Jo Sharrock, Head at Putney High School GDST, is one and explains: “We are a down to earth school and our 11+ initial entrance exams are designed to focus simply on English and Maths – familiar topics that children will already have been learning at school. Our Athena assessment explores how candidates think rather than what they know. It’s about original thinking and creativity. Therefore, tutoring is neither necessary nor helpful.”

Adam d’Souza, founder of Commons Education, thinks differently. “School entrance is about building a rapport with a child and their family, and understanding their strengths and weaknesses. A good tutor knows how far they can gently challenge a student without losing motivation.”

WHY TUTOR?

Tutoring a child should enhance a student’s ability and boost their confidence. A good tutor will identify a child’s weaknesses and take steps to strengthen them. This might be revising maths topics, completing old papers, how to answer a comprehension or ideas on creative writing.

If you think your child is falling behind at school, employing a tutor is a good idea so that they can identify where the problems are and work with your child before the situation worsens.

Tutors can also provide expert advice with school entrance exams; there are techniques that pupils need to be familiar with to be successful and a good tutor should know these.

Having a tutor also means having access to their expertise, so don’t be afraid to ask your tutor the hard questions about their own knowledge and if you’re not happy, look elsewhere. Tutors should be able to guide and support parents as much as they guide and support their pupils.

Source: Teatime Tutors

In-Person Tutoring: The Advantages

For many of us, the idea of encouraging a child to keep working beyond their school day is only effective when it’s one-to-one, side-by-side. “In-person tutoring provides a better learning environment, helping children become more motivated and to stay better focused, making for a better overall learning experience,” explains Hannah Larsen from Mentor Education, who provide both online and in-person tutoring. “In-person for younger children is more successful too.”

Many of the tutors we spoke to agreed that being physically present has distinct advantages, from picking up on mood and energy levels through body language to giving feedback and rewards straight away. Louise Young from Mathnasium, which offers both in-person and online tutoring, says: “In-person tutoring gives students immediate feedback and support from our tutors in the centre. They build their confidence and independence in a safe environment. Motivation and reward are part of what we offer, so attending one of our centres gives children the instant boost of exchanging their star cards for items in the rewards cabinet at the end of their session.”

In-Person Tutoring: The Drawbacks

Depending on the tutor you engage, you may either have to travel to them or create a suitable workspace in your home, which can be challenging with a busy family life. When looking for a tutor, you’re also restricted to who is available in your area at the time, which may make finding the right match harder.

Online Tutoring: The Advantages

As Hannah explains, these days online tutoring is becoming more mainstream. “Before Covid we predominantly tutored in-person, but after the pandemic there was an online revolution which saw the popularity of online tutoring increase, especially for older students.”

Tash Rosin, who runs Teatime Tutors, used to live in London and only tutored in-person after school. When she moved out of London, many of her existing tutees stayed with her and took their sessions online, confident in virtual schooling due to their pandemic experience. “It’s much easier to tutor online; there is no travel involved, both for the tutor and the student, and both can be away from the home environment while still easily accessing each other.

“There is always an issue finding time as a tutor, whether online or in-person. Children have long days at school and a wealth of clubs or sports activities after school to choose from, which can make it challenging for parents to find a suitable time to fit in a tutoring session.”

Balancing the needs of the child with the demands of their day is eaiser to juggle when they’re simply dialling in to a session. “Tutoring happens after a long school day and what has taken place during the day has a massive impact on a child’s willingness to learn and work for another hour on top of school and clubs. Online tutoring can aid that as they can snack while working, they are in a safe and familiar environment, and they can do it in their pyjamas if they feel like it!”

Hannah agrees it’s certainly easier and more convenient for tutors and often preferrable for older students too. And for centres like Mathnasium, access to online tutoring gives
those who don’t live near a centre the option to join and benefit from the same programme as those who can attend in-person.

ONLINE LEARNING

Reservations about online learning, particularly for primary-aged children, are a legacy of the hasty online provision they experienced during Covid. The swiftness with which schools had to adapt, coupled with the anxiety and isolation during the pandemic, meant that many parents have yet to witness online teaching at its best or on a one-to-one basis.

Allowing students access to the best tutors across the country, the one- to-one online lesson provides a truly bespoke space for learning, providing a range of multimedia techniques. The tutor and student share and interact on a range of platforms. They can annotate, draw, calculate collaboratively and in real-time. An infinite range of resources can be shared, stored and saved; each lesson creating a revision resource where appropriate. Productivity is naturally increased when a child has all eyes on them for the entire session and they learn to be accountable for their own effort and progress.

Source: Exceptional Academics

Online Tutoring: The Drawbacks

Online tutoring can be much more intense than in-person and therefore can be more tiring for both the student and tutor. “The tutor is having to work much harder to keep a student motivated and listen out for any quiet mutterings in case they need help but don’t ask, or are upset but don’t tell you,” Tash explains. “Although I use a camera and try to pick up on nuances from children, it can be harder – it’s much easier to read a mood in-person. I rely on parents to be honest and to let me know if my student has had a bad
day or is tired.”

Generally, online is more likely to be less efficient for younger pupils. “The only issue I have with online tutoring is not being able to assist children with their presentation immediately,” says Tash. “This requires parents scanning in work and emailing it to me so that I can keep an eye on handwriting and presentation skills.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF FUN IN LEARNING

“My daughter loves it. Didn’t want to go at all but after the one-hour assessment she couldn’t wait to join. Her maths has improved greatly, even the school said so. My daughter actually enjoys maths and says it’s her favourite subject at school.”

Mathnasium Parent, July 2024. What’s the secret to effective learning? In simple terms, it’s FUN! When students enjoy maths, they engage more deeply, retain concepts better, and develop a positive attitude towards problem-solving. Making maths fun transforms it from a daunting subject into an exciting adventure. This approach fosters a love for maths, empowering students to reach their full potential. By enjoying the learning process, children build a solid foundation for future success and lifelong skills. We’re serious
about maths being fun and believe an engaging learning experience is the key to unlocking each child’s academic potential, helping them excel in all areas of life.

Source: Mathnasium

Winning Combination – A Bit of Both?

Some tutors may offer a combination of in-person sessions backed up with online sessions, especially over the school holidays, and even some schools are now beginning to embrace this approach. At London Park School Mayfair and London Park School Sixth, there’s a new format called ‘Hybrid’. Spokesperson Ali Bucknall explains: “It offers students a mix of in-school and online teaching, with one day in school and four days online. It works well for students who, for whatever reason, may find attending school in-person on a regular basis hard.”

Ultimately both methods are effective; it’s a question of assessing your child’s needs, their extra-curricular commitments and your family life. One thing we’ve all learnt from the pandemic is how to function more effectively online, so what might at one point have seemed an unsatisfactory compromise is now an attractive proposition.